I have been following with great interest how the United States government has approached three great embarrassments: Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, and Edward Snowden. No one disputes that what those men revealed was true. Yet Americans are divided (in what percentages, I do not know) as to whether these are traitors or heroes.

Europe and the rest of the world seem to be very upset by the revelations of truth. They clearly are dedicated to pursuing the implications of what they did not know before. The truth is hurting upcoming discussions with the European Union, regarding trade with the U.S. If you had a business partner, and learned he was spying on everything you were doing, would you come to the table for another new contract, as he said, "Oh, disregard all that. Trust me"? I hope the EU does all it can to defend its interests.

Some nations are not joining the international "manhunts" for Assange and Snowden. It is, after all, not as if they had made up reams of lies, put them on official U.S. letterhead and created international harm by lies. No, it seems most nations want to spend time reading the data, rather than killing the messengers. Let no one mistake that some in the USA would kill them too – not for lies, but for passing on the truth.

So the international reputation of the USA as a nation with great political values, a great Constitution, and a people with the kind of character as the "Greatest Generation" of the World War II types, continues to be flushed right down the toilet.

I am confused by the U.S. ConstitutionMillions of American soldiers – from the American Revolution on through our latest wars – have died and suffered, in loyalty to their military oaths to "defend and protect" the U.S. Constitution. Since Sept. 11, 2001, both Republican and Democratic governments have plundered the U.S. Constitution, plundered the People of the United States, and plundered our international reputation, by our illegal acts against the U.S. Constitution. Since Sept. 11, 2001, our leaders have:

Created laws, with legal statuses subordinate to the U.S. Constitution, which are anti-Constitutional in nature and application.

Followed those subordinate laws, denying to U.S. citizens and legal aliens rights protected under the first 10 amendments.

Declared at least one war (Iraq) declared on false pretenses, which was treachery against the Oath of Allegiance to the Constitution, and to the American People.

Engaged in "rendition" which is hiring third-party whoring nations to do what the U.S. Constitution forbids, yet is defended as "necessarily American" – and if any American leader or member of their families, in the executive, legislative, or judicial branches or any of the hundreds of thousands of federal employees, civilian or military, were subjected to rendition, and all its processes, by any nation doing this, they would demand war against such a nation.

Declare as traitors any who merely reveal what both Republican and Democratic administrations, government employees, diplomatic service personnel, military personnel, have (1) done under orders; (2) initiated on their own, but permitted; and, (3) all which were known, advocated, or tolerated by said administrations, yet all embarrassments because they all contradict the principles of the U.S. Constitution, or worse, are substantive violations of the U.S. Criminal Code.

For myself, I have to say, when I listen to the empty chatter of persons who either are unfamiliar with their own U.S. Constitution or who serve either as (1) mindless hand-puppets of their favorite leaders or as (2) paid whores who know better, I realize how much the United States of America is morally and legally lost.
We make a Communist nation – with a published Constitution opposed to all our democratic principles – our "Number One Trading Partner," aiding our own economic destruction without China firing a shot, but becoming our economic master, and then we declare as traitors three men who do nothing other than unload to the public the vile, nasty, anti-Constitutional, anti-Democratic conduct of our own leaders.

Were it not for these thoughts, I suppose I would be as I normally remain to this newspaper, silent as I watch the parade go by. God Almighty, turn our hearts unto Thee. Amen.

John D. Willis, PhD, is president of Leadership Ethics Online, which can be found at www.leadershipethicsonline.com. He was born, raised, and lives in Shelby County.